Raven. Come for a week, a month,” he begged.
“That is impossible!” She tossed her hair over her shoulder in a feminine gesture calculated to belie her words.
“It's not impossible, Raven. If you accept the invitation, I swear everything will be proper. If you'll come for a visit to Bewcastle, all the proprieties will be observed.”
“The proprieties would not be observed unless we were formally betrothed, Christopher.” She gave him a ravishing smile. “Let me go up and change and we can ride over to Bewcastle. But you must promise to have me back by nightfall.”
Upstairs, Raven's grandmother helped her change into the vivid riding habit. “Do you have your hag stone and your knife?”
“I do.” Raven hugged her grandmother. “I warrant Chris Dacre will find a way to persuade me to stay at Bewcastle.” Raven's eyes sparkled with mischief. “Don't worry if I don't return tonight. All my things are packed. If I do decide to stay, I shall send for my bags.”
“Goodbye, my lovely.” Dame Heron's voice held a wistful note. “Your life's adventure begins today. Do not forget to use your power, Raven.”
As she saw Christopher's reaction to her vivid riding outfit, Raven knew she had chosen well. “I'm sorry I kept you waiting.”
“It was worth the wait,” he assured her, his eyes lingering upon the swell of her breasts beneath the fitted crimson jacket.
As one of the young Heron boys brought Sully from the stables, Raven gave Chris a provocative sidelong glance from beneath long black lashes. “You don't mind if we take my pair of falcons on our ride, do you, Christopher? They are in need of exercise.” Raven knew that if she was to stay at Bewcastle for a week, she must take the valuable hunting birds with her.
“Are these peregrines yours?” Dacre asked with surprise.
“Yes, they are a lovely pair, but still very young.”
Dacre gazed at the male bird with covetous eyes. “Your father certainly indulges you.”
“Do I detect a note of disapproval in your voice?” Raven asked lightly, taking the raptors from their perches.
He quickly covered the censure his words had revealed. “Envy, perhaps. I would like to be the one to indulge you.”
They walked outside into the sunshine and Raven handed him the birds while she mounted Sully. Then she took them back until Dacre mounted his new black stallion.She offered him his choice of falcons, and he picked the male, as she had known he would. Raven smiled inwardly; Christopher Dacre was so predictable.
They rode about two miles in the direction of Bewcastle before they cast their hawks. As the birds soared miles above them, Chris Dacre dismounted and lifted Raven down beside him. His hands lingered at her waist and he drew her close for their first kiss. Raven momentarily closed her eyes, then quickly opened them again and looked up into his gray-green eyes, reassuring herself that the male she was kissing really was Christopher. Then she laughed at her own foolishness.
“Why do you laugh?” he asked huskily.
“Because I am happy.”
“Make me happy, Raven. Stay at Bewcastle with me,” he implored.
“I long to,” she said wistfully to raise his hopes, then purposely dashed them, “but I cannot.” She turned from him to remount Sully, but he stopped her.
“Raven, if you come, you may consider yourself betrothed.”
She caught her breath. “Are you asking me to marry you?”
He searched her face. “Since that's the only way I'll get you. I've quite made up my mind to have you.”
Raven knew Lord Dacre's heir was used to getting whatever he wanted. “How impetuous you are, Christopher. Now you will have to exercise patience while I make up
my
mind,” she teased. Sheba returned to her wrist without her prey, and Raven suspected the female falcon had devoured it. She set the huntress on her saddlebow.
“Your falcon needs the firm hand of a master.”
Raven tossed her head. “I hope you are not implying that I too need
“That is impossible!” She tossed her hair over her shoulder in a feminine gesture calculated to belie her words.
“It's not impossible, Raven. If you accept the invitation, I swear everything will be proper. If you'll come for a visit to Bewcastle, all the proprieties will be observed.”
“The proprieties would not be observed unless we were formally betrothed, Christopher.” She gave him a ravishing smile. “Let me go up and change and we can ride over to Bewcastle. But you must promise to have me back by nightfall.”
Upstairs, Raven's grandmother helped her change into the vivid riding habit. “Do you have your hag stone and your knife?”
“I do.” Raven hugged her grandmother. “I warrant Chris Dacre will find a way to persuade me to stay at Bewcastle.” Raven's eyes sparkled with mischief. “Don't worry if I don't return tonight. All my things are packed. If I do decide to stay, I shall send for my bags.”
“Goodbye, my lovely.” Dame Heron's voice held a wistful note. “Your life's adventure begins today. Do not forget to use your power, Raven.”
As she saw Christopher's reaction to her vivid riding outfit, Raven knew she had chosen well. “I'm sorry I kept you waiting.”
“It was worth the wait,” he assured her, his eyes lingering upon the swell of her breasts beneath the fitted crimson jacket.
As one of the young Heron boys brought Sully from the stables, Raven gave Chris a provocative sidelong glance from beneath long black lashes. “You don't mind if we take my pair of falcons on our ride, do you, Christopher? They are in need of exercise.” Raven knew that if she was to stay at Bewcastle for a week, she must take the valuable hunting birds with her.
“Are these peregrines yours?” Dacre asked with surprise.
“Yes, they are a lovely pair, but still very young.”
Dacre gazed at the male bird with covetous eyes. “Your father certainly indulges you.”
“Do I detect a note of disapproval in your voice?” Raven asked lightly, taking the raptors from their perches.
He quickly covered the censure his words had revealed. “Envy, perhaps. I would like to be the one to indulge you.”
They walked outside into the sunshine and Raven handed him the birds while she mounted Sully. Then she took them back until Dacre mounted his new black stallion.She offered him his choice of falcons, and he picked the male, as she had known he would. Raven smiled inwardly; Christopher Dacre was so predictable.
They rode about two miles in the direction of Bewcastle before they cast their hawks. As the birds soared miles above them, Chris Dacre dismounted and lifted Raven down beside him. His hands lingered at her waist and he drew her close for their first kiss. Raven momentarily closed her eyes, then quickly opened them again and looked up into his gray-green eyes, reassuring herself that the male she was kissing really was Christopher. Then she laughed at her own foolishness.
“Why do you laugh?” he asked huskily.
“Because I am happy.”
“Make me happy, Raven. Stay at Bewcastle with me,” he implored.
“I long to,” she said wistfully to raise his hopes, then purposely dashed them, “but I cannot.” She turned from him to remount Sully, but he stopped her.
“Raven, if you come, you may consider yourself betrothed.”
She caught her breath. “Are you asking me to marry you?”
He searched her face. “Since that's the only way I'll get you. I've quite made up my mind to have you.”
Raven knew Lord Dacre's heir was used to getting whatever he wanted. “How impetuous you are, Christopher. Now you will have to exercise patience while I make up
my
mind,” she teased. Sheba returned to her wrist without her prey, and Raven suspected the female falcon had devoured it. She set the huntress on her saddlebow.
“Your falcon needs the firm hand of a master.”
Raven tossed her head. “I hope you are not implying that I too need
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